Tree Houses: Is Wood Really The Future Of Skyscrapers?

The plyscraper. That’s what everyone’s calling the latest trend in urban architecture...

I was lucky enough to interview Bill Baker, chief engineer of the Burj Khalifa, and partner in architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), for my book. During our conversation, he waxed lyrical about the growing interest in wooden skyscrapers—a topic they’ve been investigating since 2013. The goal of their Timber Tower project was to design a “structural system for tall buildings” that made use of timber.